Process of treating ferns and product produced thereby



June 12, 1934. E. MOORE 1,962,667

PROCESS OF TREATING FERNS AND PRODUCT PRODUCED THEREBY Filed Nov. 25, 1931 I INVENTOR. EDMUND L. MOORE.

BY ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES PROCESS OF TREATING FERNS AND PRODUCT PRODUCED THEREBY Edmund L. Moore, Springfield, Mass. Application November 25, 1931, Serial No. 577,241

3 Claims. (Cl. 99-11) This invention relates to the preservation of ferns for decorating purposes. It has heretofore been proposed to dye ferns to give permanence to their natural colors, so that they 5 may be used for decorations after their color would normally have disappeared. Such attempts, however, have been unsuccessful for the reason that the wilting of the fern was not arrested. Even though the color of the fern was preserved, it soon became useless as a decoration due to curling, which in any case removed all natural appearance from the fern, and generally progressed to the point of complete collapse.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a new process for preserving ferns which will keep them in usable condition indefinitely. A further object is to provide a method of treatment by which curling and consequent collapse of the fern will be definitely arrested. A further object is to provide a method which can be carried out very simply and with only a slight expenditure of labor. A further object is to provide, as a new article of manufacture, a fern which is without tendency to curl or wilt and which is permanent in color. Additional objects will appear from the following description and claims.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in WV which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing one manner of drying the fern and removing its tendency to curl; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one way of applying a protective coating to the fern.

While other ferns having similar characteristics may be used, the process now to be described has especial value in the treatment of the common brake, Pteris aquilina. The fronds of this brake are preferably gathered when mature, as I have found that mature specimens have more permanence and strength when treated by this process. The selected fronds are then flattened out, as shown at in Fig. 1, upon a sheet of slightly absorbent material 11, such as newspaper, supported on a fiat board 12. When the frond is straightened out, with no portions bent back underneath, a second sheet of similar material 13 is laid upon its upper surface and covered by a board 14. If the weight of this second board is insufiicient to preserve the frond flat and in thorough contact with the paper sheets, a weight 15 may be placed upon it.

The frond is now left in this condition until it is thoroughly dry. Generally the frond contains a substantial amount of moisture, and under the confined conditions in which the frond is kept this moisture assists in what is apparently an internal fermentation which takes 30 place in the body of the fern. A considerable degree of warmth will be generated spontaneously by this chemical action, and the moisture will be gradually driven off until the fern is quite dry. If the original amount of moisture 5 contained within the fern is not sufficient to produce the desired action, the frond may be dampened slightly before it is placed between the paper sheets.

When the frond is dry and removed from the sheets, it will be found that it has lost its tendency to. curl and has a substantial stiffness of its own. In many cases, however, the internal fermentation has progressed to such a point that the natural green color has disappeared in 7;; places, and it is necessary to restore this. Both for this purpose, to provide additional protection against the effect of atmospheric changes, and to give additional strength to the now somewhat brittle frond, it is suspended as by a clip 16 and coated, as by a spray gun 17, with a coating of paint or lacquer which'preferably carries suitable pigments to simulate the natural green color of the fern. Instead of supplying the pigment in the external coating the color, if neces- 5 sary, may be supplied by a dye and a transparent lacquer then applied over it for protective purposes. A brush may be used instead of a spray gun, but the gun is preferred as it makes a more even coat and follows more closely the natural 90 veining of the leaves. A cellulose lacquer will be found excellent for this purpose. When the coating thus applied is dry, the fern is ready for use. If a large frond is used, or if there are weak points in its stem, a wire reinforcement may be applied before coating. This reinforcement may be stitched through the main stem, or may be wound around this stem and around the stems branching from it.

The process has been described in what I believe to be its best form, but it will be understood that changes in the steps may be made within thescope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A process of preserving ferns which comprises subjecting the frond to an exothermic internal fermentation while holding the frond flat and under pressure until the frond is dry and without tendency to curl, and coating the 1 exterior of the frond with a substantially impervious coating.

2. A process of preserving the fronds of Pteris aquz'lina which comprises subjecting the mature fronds to an exothermic internal fermentation while maintaining the frond flat and under pressure between sheetsof absorbent material such as paper until the frond is dry and without tendency to curl, and coating the exterior of the frond by spraying it with a cellulose lacquer carrying a pigment simulating the natural color of the frond.

3. A frond of a fern such as Pteris aquilz'na having its substance broken down by internal fermentation and being without appreciable tendency to curl while unsupported, the frond ing of cellulose lacquer.

EDMUND L. MOORE.

being coated with a substantially hermetic coath 

